That includes speculation, theories, discoveries, and general venting of frustrations.

IF YOU CREATE ANY NEW TOPICS ON THE SUBJECTAn Xbox-Scene moderator will close it

IF YOU ADMIT TO RETURN FRAUDIf you returned your banned console to Walmart or some game store or otherwise offloaded your console to someone who didn't know it was banned/broken/modified/etc you will not only be banned but will we likely contact law enforcement in your area and report you. Yes, we can get that information, it's not difficult to do and we have done it before.

IF YOU ADMIT TO REPLACING/FAKING THE MICROSOFT CASE STICKERAn Xbox-Scene Moderator will ban your account (this is fraud).

IF YOU MOUTH OFF TO A MODERATORAn Xbox-Scene Moderator will ban your account

IF YOU CREATE A NEW XS ACCOUNT AFTER BEING BANNEDAn Xbox-Scene Moderator will ban you NEW account too.

These aren't new rules... these rules have been around for ages. But since many of you feel you can disrespect these forums just because you were an idiot and took your moded Xbox on Live (we all warned you before you moded it that you shouldn't do that, there's no excuses) we're taking a hard line moderating approach. There is no room for discussion and appropriate retribution will be delivered without question and without prejudice.

BANNINGS FAQ

Q: How do I know if I've been banned?A: Run a network connection test, if the connection to Xbox Live Fails then check the error codes. If your Z value is 8015 - 190D then it means you're banned.

Q: If I was banned can I take my Gamertag onto a new Xbox 360?A: Yes you can, only your console was banned not the account(s) on it.

Q: If I have been banned, can I plug my harddrive into another Xbox360?A: Yes, your Xbox360 has been banned not your account or your storage device.

Q: Is there any way to unban my console?A: None is known at this time. We'll likely report on it if a method is ever found.

Q: Will there be a firmware update that will un-ban me?A: No, once you've been banned there is nothing you can do to the firmware to un-ban you, as of right now there is no known method at all to un-ban a console.

Q: I never modified my console but I was banned! What do I do!A: If you bought it used contact the person or store you bought it from and demand an un-banned console. If you bought it new, contact MS and demand an un-banned console.

Q: I have a modified console but I'm not banned!A: Luck you...

Q: I'm not banned but if I use firmware "X" will I be banned?A: Yes, most likely. It's unclear the criteria being used to ban people but there is no firmware known to be safe. If you're using hacked firmware and log onto Xbox live you risk being banned; it doesn't matter what firmware you use.

Q: My console has been banned from LIVE. How will I be able to receive dashboard updates?A: Typically the dash updates are available for download from Xbox.com Whether they will be allowing future dash updates for banned consoles is yet to be determined. Also when dash updates are downloaded from LIVE, the installer is cached on the hard drive, so simply swapping the hdd from an updated console to a non-updated one, should prompt you to update the dash.

Q: If I gain an achievement on my banned console, will it still be recorded to my gamertag?A: When an achievement is gained on a banned console offline, then transferred to a non-banned console the achievement data will be uploaded to the LIVE servers. Part of the info that may or may not currently be included, is the console ID # that the achievement was gained on. They could, and have every right to, disallow achievements from banned consoles. While that may not be the case ATM, it could change without notice.

Q: I purchased a lot of LIVE Arcade games on my console, but it was stolen/broken/sold. I have since acquired a replacement, but was subsequently banned from live. My arcade games do not work. Help.A: Arcade titles are tied to your gamertag as well as the console they were originally purchased on. If you have changed consoles, the LIVE servers verify your eligibility to play the game, by your gamertag. Your banned console prevents the connection to LIVE and prevents verifying games purchased. Your only option to play your purchased games is from an unbanned console online, or the original console offline. There is currently no work around.